Items tagged with Hybrid

The world is being overrun by crossover utility vehicles (CUVs), and there's not much that we can do about it. Sales of traditional sedans have plummeted as Americans quickly embrace larger, more versatile, and more expensive crossovers. Lincoln is definitely embracing this trend, and has pulled the wraps off the impeccably-detailed 2020 Aviator. The new mid-size Aviator is a dead ringer for the concept that was first revealed at the 2018 Detroit Auto Show in January and has lost absolutely nothing in the transition to production. Up front is a not-so-large version of Lincoln's new grille...Read more...

Today is a rather sad day for fans of General Motors. The company announced that it is laying off 15 percent of its workforce in North America, and will close a total of five manufacturing plants on the continent. With regards to its workforce, a total of 14,000 contract and salaried workers will be out of a job in 2019. As for its manufacturing plants, the following will all be closed within the next year: Oshawa Assembly in Oshawa, Ontario, Canada Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly in Detroit Lordstown Assembly in Warren, Ohio Baltimore Operations in White Marsh, Maryland Warren Transmission Operations...Read more...

Looking back at Porsche's storied history, most auto enthusiasts have fond thoughts of the original 356, the 911 and the 959 supercar from the early 80s. However, in recent years, Porsche's sales have been dominated by **gulp** crossovers. The Cayenne and Macan are brisk sellers and cash cows for Porsche, which helps the German company to fund the continued development of vehicles like the 911, Cayman and 918 Spyder. With that in mind, Porsche is on an electrification kick, and the latest fruit to bear is the 2019 Cayenne E-Hybrid. The Cayenne was completely redesigned for the 2018 model year,...Read more...

Following Honda's unveiling of a concept version of its third-generation Insight hybrid back in December, the Japanese automaker has pulled the wraps off the production version of the vehicle. As we reported last year, not much has changed in the translation from concept to production model with the only major difference appearing to be the fitting of smaller rolling stock. The new 2019 Insight is heavily based on the current generation Civic as you can tell from the overall body lines, greenhouse, and side mirrors. The primary changes in the design come up front and in the back. Up front, you'll...Read more...

Ford has just previewed a number of new vehicles that will be joining its family in the coming years. The auto giant announced that 75 percent of its current lineup will be replaced by 2020 and that it will be adding four new trucks and SUVs as well. The most high-profile of these launches will no doubt be the resurrected Bronco (pictured above). The Bronco was announced for production in early 2017 alongside the all-new Ranger. The Ranger has already been revealed in production form and will soon be hitting dealer lots. At the time, it was expected that the Bronco would simply be a rebadged Everest...Read more...

Honda has been rather hit of miss in recent years with its dedicated hybrid vehicles. The first-generation Insight was a spunky, CRX-esque two-seat hybrid that was incredibly efficient (up to 70 mpg), but not exactly a practical vehicle. Honda followed up with the second-generation Insight in 2009 (which looked like a warmed-over Prius) and the CR-Z, which was in essence the true successor for the first-generation Insight. Neither was a sales success, and both have since been discontinued. Now, Honda is ready to try again with a new dedicated hybrid vehicle, and it will once again bear the Insight...Read more...

Volvo might not be a name that you immediately think of when it comes to the electrification of automobiles (Tesla typically holds that honor), but it is taking steps to ensure that hybrids and fully-electric cars become central to its business. The company announced that starting in 2019, all of its vehicles will feature electric motors that either aid gasoline engines or take care of all propulsion duties. Many luxury automakers offer hybrid versions of their vehicles either to enhance performance or increase fuel economy, but Volvo will be the first to go “all in” on its journey to a time when...Read more...

You better think twice before speeding down the 405. Ford has just unveiled its first “pursuit-rated” hybrid patrol car, and the Los Angeles Police Department may be one of the first agencies to get its hands on the vehicles. Charlie Beck, Los Angeles Police Department Chief remarked, “Our mission to create safe and healthy communities in Los Angeles is achieved through sustainable approaches in community policing, and that includes embracing new technologies. Patrol vehicles are a police officer’s office, and we expect them to not only be economically and environmentally efficient, but also an...Read more...

It looks as though a new competitor is looking to charge into the electrified vehicle market. Whereas Tesla Motors is squarely aimed at the passenger vehicle market with high-priced full EVs like the Model S and Model X, Nikola Motors (clearly a nod to Tesla) has its sights set much higher on the world of long-haul transportation. The headlining vehicle from this new startup is the Nikola One, a semi-truck that combines electric motors with a natural-gas-fed turbine that recharges the vehicle’s 320 kWh battery pack. Total system output is pegged at 2,000hp with 3,700 lb-ft of torque. The company...Read more...

It looks as though Hyundai and its affiliates are taking direct aim at the Toyota Prius, and with good reason. Despite the fact that gas prices have reached lows in the United States that we haven’t seen in years, the Prius is still the by far the best-selling hybrid vehicle on the market. Many have tried to copy the success of the Prius, but all have come up short. Hyundai is going after the Prius with the similarly-shaped Ioniq, while Kia just today announced the new 2017 Niro, which uses the same platform as the Ioniq, but is wrapped in a crossover-esque body style. Compact crossovers are the...Read more...

When Microsoft first launched its Surface line of products, it caused quite a stir in the mobile PC market. It may have taken a couple of iterations to get things dialed in to the point they are today, but simply entering the market with its own branded hardware put Microsoft in the position of essentially competing with its partners. Microsoft had a specific vision for the future of Windows-based mobile products, however, and decided to develop hardware that embodied that vision. Now that we’re a few years removed from the introduction of the original Surface and Surface Pro, it’s clear that Microsoft’s...Read more...

Many have challenged Toyota’s dominant Prius, but none have come close to approaching its sales success. In fact, Toyota has upped the ante, expanding the family to include the Prius v and Prius c. And to top it off, Toyota just launched the fourth generation Prius, which brings with its unorthodox styling and increased fuel efficiency to fend off fresh competition. But don’t tell the to the folks at Hyundai. The company has probably the best chance yet at battling the Prius with its upcoming Ioniq hybrid hatchback. The South Korean automaker even has all of its bases covered, offering traditional...Read more...

Toyota turned quite a few heads when it launched the fourth generation Prius in September — and not in a good way. While the Prius could always be described a somewhat quirky, its styling was for the most part inoffensive. However, the company wanted to inject a lot more flare into the new model. "As a concept, we were thinking Lady Gaga,” said Chief Prius Designer Shunsaku Kodama. “We wanted to be more extreme in our design." The folks at Hyundai, however, are having none of that. The company is on the verge of releasing its first dedicated hybrid model, the Ioniq, for the U.S. market, and it...Read more...

If you’re at all a gearhead like most of the HotHardware staff, you’re no doubt familiar with the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren. The supercar — then named the Vision SLR — was introduced in concept form at the 1999 Detroit Auto Show. The production model was introduced four years later with a 5.4-liter supercharged V8 engine producing 617hp (although it was unfortunately mated to a 5-speed automatic transmission; the only transmission in Mercedes’ stable that was capable of handling 575 ft-lbs of torque in the 3,800+ pound vehicle). A later variant, the 722 Edition, came with an even more impressive...Read more...